With the Blue Jays going to New York for 4th of July weekend, this seems an appropriate time for this poll.

The Yankees current team payroll is $206,333,389.00

The Blue Jays current team payroll is $62,234,000.

Should MLB have a team salary cap?

BlueJayFanDan

07-01-2010, 01:29 PM

GOD YES. It will never happen though. Yankees will always outspend us by 100 mil yearly.

marcre

07-01-2010, 01:43 PM

GOD YES. It will never happen though. Yankees will always outspend us by 100 mil yearly.

Ha, I wish it were only a hundred million. Truthfully, For how much they spend, I don't think they are that good. $206 million, you'd think they'd be a lot better.

Anyway, o as to the question. I do think one is needed. It is almost like we are mixing the big leagues and the minors. When the highest payroll team spends $206 million and the lowest is only spending $35 million, there's a problem.

Eight teams are spending over $100 Million, while only two of them(lucky us, it's the Red Sox and the Yankees) are over $150M.

To me, it's crazy how much the top few teams spend. I love baseball, and I get so excited at the beginning of the season. At this point though, it becomes frustrating.

Pride

07-01-2010, 01:49 PM

MLB needs removal of the divisions more IMO. As for a salary cap, I doubt we'll ever get one because the player's union would never allow it.

Twitchy

07-01-2010, 01:59 PM

A salary cap and floor would be horrible. A salary floor would give crappy veteran players more money than they currently get, and a salary cap is unnecessary because it won't solve the issue of how much revenue is generated. You limit the amount the Yankees can spend on veteran players, and it all but guarantees that they'll outbid you in the most important areas - the draft and international free agency. Let them spend the money on AJ Burnett, because it gives us a better shot at signing guys like Hecchavaria.

I'd rather the Yanks overspend on aging veterans than on young talent.

Edit: To add on to the point about revenues - even if you have a cap, the Yankees will still make the same amount of money. They'll still make money from attendance, from the YES network, from merchandise, etc. Except instead of spending 200 M on the payroll, they're forced to spend 100M due to the salary cap. They're not just going to pocket the money and keep the extra 100M. They're going to use it to outbid you on guys like Hechhavarria. We bid 10/4? No problem, they just bid 15/4. That first round talent that slips to the 7th round? No problem, they just offer him 1-2 M, which while it sounds crazy now is easy for them to do because they have the money lying around.

The only way to beat teams like the Yankees is to get a lot of premium young talent, and if they can do that better than you, you're in a lot of trouble. Especially if a salary cap is in place.

A salary cap doesn't fix the issues of competitive balance, and in some ways makes things worse.

Nofear

07-01-2010, 05:26 PM

Salary cap won't work at all. You install a salary cap at say 100 million and the Yankees will have a 400 million minor league payroll.

Like Twitchy mentioned, they'd also ruin the draft very quickly. Every highscool stud pitcher would end up getting picked 10 rounds deep and getting multi-millions to sign.

I voted for hard cap but I'm really more interested in a total spending limit, minors and majors and all scouts/coaches. Won't happen because it would be too complex to install.

marcre

07-01-2010, 05:34 PM

There is no easy answer and maybe different things will work. Clearly the way it is isn't working.

lukeem21

07-01-2010, 06:28 PM

I believe an NBA type salary cap would be best, allowing you to go over when you're resigning players that haven been on the team for x many years... with a second hard cap that cannot be exeeded no matter what

having a salary cap would generate more $... with the Nash principal what is good for the competition is good for you, since it is good for the industry!

with so few teams having a honest chance at competing the level of commitment from fans drops FAST, everyone here is probably a hard core Jays fan but think about how much more you want/ need to go to the game when they are winning/ contending

it makes a lot more sense having 20-30 baseball markets thriving than 3-5

bandaid-prize

07-01-2010, 06:55 PM

With the Blue Jays going to New York for 4th of July weekend, this seems an appropriate time for this poll.

The Yankees current team payroll is $206,333,389.00

The Blue Jays current team payroll is $62,234,000.

Should MLB have a team salary cap?

i loved it when the Jays had the highest salary in MLB, even after they were any good.

no sense whining now.

carson005

07-01-2010, 06:56 PM

No Salary Cap, But Salary Floor is Needed

GrumpyOldMan

07-01-2010, 07:18 PM

No Salary Cap, But Salary Floor is Needed

If you are going to have one you should have both. I think $206 million is a problem, but the Pirates at $37.8 million is just as big a problem.

H-MYK

07-01-2010, 08:05 PM

Absolutely. I don't care what some people say. With teams like the Yankees and Red Sox going out and getting whatever player is available for the highest possible price, all it's doing is giving that team an unfair advantage.

bobby jr

07-01-2010, 09:45 PM

I've had discussions on the Yankee forum about the salary cap issue.
While a few Yankee fans are reasonable and admit the present system is not working, most on that forum are pretty close minded on the issue. They are strongly against a salary cap, and apparently would rather see the present system continue, rather than have a hard salary cap imposed.

Of course it is a good system if you're a Yankee fan, the current system pretty much guarantees their team about 100 wins per season, and a pass to the playoffs. I think they have made the playoffs 14 of the last 15 years. The Yankee fans opposition to a salary cap just goes to show that if a system benefits a team the fans of that team will generally support it, even if the system is not a fair one.

However this system is not working well for MLB as a whole. Or for teams other than New York and Boston in the in the AL East.

Baltimore and Toronto both used to lead the league in attendance. Those days are in the distant past. Both teams have been out of contention for years. While the Blue Jays have fared much better than the Orioles in recent years, what good does it do to finish with a winning record if you're still 15 games out of the playoffs at the end of the year, and little hope of ever winning the division.

Halladay

07-01-2010, 10:26 PM

Of course there should be a cap but why would MLB do it if the league is raking in the cash. Not to mention, good luck getting the players and their union to agree to it. It would make the league much more competitive but that doesn't seem to matter. It's all about making money and everyone's making money, including the Marlins.

frostilicus

07-01-2010, 10:50 PM

I'd like to live in a world where professional athletes are paid for their current performance instead of what they did last year or what their potential to do in the future is. Everyone makes a base salary which increases from year to year based on service time and at the end of the season, bonuses are handed out based on achieving certain predetermined milestones.

Twitchy

07-01-2010, 11:04 PM

The other issue with a salary cap is it punishes the players. You're just giving more money to the owners.

wamco

07-01-2010, 11:47 PM

]I'd rather the Yanks overspend on aging veterans than on young talent.[/B]

As would I, but lately they have been signing the Burnett's, CC's and Texieras.

The other issue with a salary cap is it punishes the players. You're just giving more money to the owners.

I could live with that. Maybe (wouldn't happen) then they wouldn't charge so much for parking, concessions, and tickets.

The way it is going now, I am close to being done with baseball after being a die hard fan for over 20 years and it has EVERYTHING to do with yanks/sox payroll.

nithanyo

07-02-2010, 12:04 AM

Wrong place for this question. Every jays fan wants a cap. Every Yankee/Red Sox fan doesnt want one. In the eyes of the MLB those fans are alot more valuable then us. Our opinons dont matter. Were the scum of baseball

fatkev78

07-02-2010, 12:45 AM

A salary cap and floor would be horrible. A salary floor would give crappy veteran players more money than they currently get, and a salary cap is unnecessary because it won't solve the issue of how much revenue is generated. You limit the amount the Yankees can spend on veteran players, and it all but guarantees that they'll outbid you in the most important areas - the draft and international free agency. Let them spend the money on AJ Burnett, because it gives us a better shot at signing guys like Hecchavaria.

I'd rather the Yanks overspend on aging veterans than on young talent.

Edit: To add on to the point about revenues - even if you have a cap, the Yankees will still make the same amount of money. They'll still make money from attendance, from the YES network, from merchandise, etc. Except instead of spending 200 M on the payroll, they're forced to spend 100M due to the salary cap. They're not just going to pocket the money and keep the extra 100M. They're going to use it to outbid you on guys like Hechhavarria. We bid 10/4? No problem, they just bid 15/4. That first round talent that slips to the 7th round? No problem, they just offer him 1-2 M, which while it sounds crazy now is easy for them to do because they have the money lying around.

The only way to beat teams like the Yankees is to get a lot of premium young talent, and if they can do that better than you, you're in a lot of trouble. Especially if a salary cap is in place.

A salary cap doesn't fix the issues of competitive balance, and in some ways makes things worse.

So, because the draft & international FA system system is broken you don't bother fixing the league by having a cap? That doesn't make sense - you simply fix everything that is wrong (which MLB is currently looking into with an international draft). I don't care where MLB starts - draft or cap - just start fixing things.
NYY & BOS currently sign almost any international FA or draft pick they desire - having a cap wouldn't change a thing, but as I said that system is flawed and needs to be fixed as well.

Also, someone earlier mentioned the Jays had the highest payroll when they were winning - that is true, but it was by a couple million dollars not 50 million or more like we currently see. And there certainly was 170 million between 1st place and last place is spending. IIRC the Jays payroll in '92/93 was around 51 million.

fatkev78

07-02-2010, 12:52 AM

Wrong place for this question. Every jays fan wants a cap. Every Yankee/Red Sox fan doesnt want one. In the eyes of the MLB those fans are alot more valuable then us. Our opinons dont matter. Were the scum of baseball

As a LEAFS fan (sad, but true) I hated the cap because the Leafs could spend as much as they wanted on players. But as a HOCKEY fan I knew it was good for the game, so I wanted the lockout to last as long as it took to get a cap. Real NYY/BOS/BASEBALL fans would say the same thing about MLB and a cap.

Twitchy

07-02-2010, 07:34 AM

[I[B]]As would I, but lately they have been signing the Burnett's, CC's and Texieras.

And in the later years of the deals they're going to regret it. Either way if they're focusing on veterans than it allows you to spend on international prospects.

The way to beat the Yankees is to build a strong core and support it through FA, and not the other way around.

I could live with that. Maybe (wouldn't happen) then they wouldn't charge so much for parking, concessions, and tickets.

Wishful thinking, but they'd charge just as much.

Wrong place for this question. Every jays fan wants a cap. Every Yankee/Red Sox fan doesnt want one. In the eyes of the MLB those fans are alot more valuable then us. Our opinons dont matter. Were the scum of baseball

Apparently not every Jays fan agrees with you.

So, because the draft & international FA system system is broken you don't bother fixing the league by having a cap? That doesn't make sense - you simply fix everything that is wrong (which MLB is currently looking into with an international draft). I don't care where MLB starts - draft or cap - just start fixing things.

I don't agree that either are broken so to be it makes sense. Nobody is stopping you from spending over slot. If you choose not to, that's your call.

The Jays are starting to get back into the international FA game. And they have the budget to pull it off. So again I don't see your point.

NYY & BOS currently sign almost any international FA or draft pick they desire - having a cap wouldn't change a thing, but as I said that system is flawed and needs to be fixed as well.

That works well until you realize we got Hech, and that other teams have signed players that both Boston and New York wanted. And like I said before, if you put a cap at 100 mil, the Yanks find themselves with an additional 100M dollars to outbid everybody on prospects. That's the point when New York will sign every international prospect. But now, that just isn't happening. Even Kansas City is outbidding them on some guys.

Also, someone earlier mentioned the Jays had the highest payroll when they were winning - that is true, but it was by a couple million dollars not 50 million or more like we currently see. And there certainly was 170 million between 1st place and last place is spending. IIRC the Jays payroll in '92/93 was around 51 million.

At the end of the day it comes down to how well you manage the money. The Cubs are spending 144 million bucks, and they're not even close to being a playoff team. Money doesn't guarantee success. Adding a salary cap doesn't make it easier for the Jays to win.

I'd rather see realignment or a balanced schedule before a salary cap.

Nuke

07-02-2010, 09:13 AM

I always thought the system they have now with a luxury tax would work, but they need to get more harsh when you go over the cap, and have it get much worse the more you go over. Say no penalty until you spend over $125 mil, then is goes extra $1 for $1 until $150, then it grows to $5 for every $1 over. This would have teams like the Yankees still spend $200 mil but they can't make as many mistakes as they could do before.

nithanyo

07-02-2010, 11:30 AM

The luxury tax system is not workin very well apparently. Only one team is above the tax while teams like the bosox are still spending crazy but not paying anything.

The only team being the yanks pay i believe close to 25 million. Yes thats alot of money but when u divide that by 29 other teams that jeremy accardos contract

For the tax to work it should start at 100 million. And every dollar spent over it should be doubled in tax. So a team who has 150 mill in payroll pays 100 mill in tax. This way if u really want it u jus pay alot more for it

wamco

07-02-2010, 04:36 PM

I always thought the system they have now with a luxury tax would work, but they need to get more harsh when you go over the cap

Not coincidentally, IMO, the same days the yanks wrote the check for the luxury tax, they signed Tex.

In the last part of the contract, the yanks could just cut any player, or trade him for junk, and buy another. They've been handing out contracts that get some GM's fired for years now (hard to pin which ones are Cashman and which ones were George S of course). And they make the playoffs every year.

fatkev78

07-02-2010, 05:30 PM

[QUOTE]I don't agree that either are broken so to be it makes sense. Nobody is stopping you from spending over slot. If you choose not to, that's your call.

If you don't think top players being taken late in the draft due to money & not having an international draft so teams/"agents" take 16 year old's money (sometimes 2/3 of their signing bonus) is a problem (MLB does) I'm afraid we don't even have a starting point for discussion.

At the end of the day it comes down to how well you manage the money. The Cubs are spending 144 million bucks, and they're not even close to being a playoff team. Money doesn't guarantee success. Adding a salary cap doesn't make it easier for the Jays to win.

I don't care how you "manage the money" when you're dealing with a 40 milllion dollar payroll compared to a 200 million dollar one.
And again, this is a MLB issue, not just a Jays one.

wamco

07-02-2010, 07:08 PM

So the title of the thread should have been...Should mlb have a salary cap AND fix the draft AND Fix international Free Agency.

Yes.

fatkev78

07-02-2010, 07:59 PM

^ Agreed. But if the 1st step is a salary cap & the NYY outspend everyone on the draft and international FA for a couple years as a result until they're fixed as well so be it.

ChongInc.

07-02-2010, 09:34 PM

I actoully like the idea of having a north American sport where development and managment is the key. It's a lot errrr with the comp picks.

statquo

07-02-2010, 09:55 PM

Fixing the draft should be the start. There's no way to justify giving a rookie anything over a million when they haven't stepped foot being a pro yet. A rookie max would allow all teams to sign top draft picks instead of shying away, increasing the capability of teams to build strong cores for the future. And by max I mean under a mil.

bobby jr

07-03-2010, 09:47 AM

I think the starting point should be a hard salary cap. This is necessary to stop the Yankees and Red Sox from buying the best players as free agents and international stars. (Also notice how seldom the Yankees lose their players to free agency, because they can pay them so much under the current system).

Once the hard cap is established, it would probably have to be grandfathered in to allow the Yankees player with long term contracts to get what they are owed. Something like this was done in the NFL it could be done in MLB too.

Additional adjustments can be made but the hard salary cap is the most important thing which is needed to restore competive balance.

wamco

07-04-2010, 07:29 AM

Can anyone name 3 Free agents that the yanks have "lost"? By Lost, that isn't the same as CHOOSING to let them walk in favor of signing someone else.

bobby jr

07-04-2010, 09:38 AM

Can anyone name 3 Free agents that the yanks have "lost"? By Lost, that isn't the same as CHOOSING to let them walk in favor of signing someone else.

Well they did lose Pettitte for awhile to Houston as a free agent, but he returned after a couple of years. I can't think of anyone else. But I can think of several stars they have signed as free agents, going back to Reggie Jackson..Mussina, Giambi, CC, and Tex.

It is time for this to end. The Yankees will continue to dominate the AL East for the next 100 years if MLB keeps allowing them to dominate the game based upon their wealth. There is no equality of opportunity, and this is not what professional sports is meant to be.

And the Red Sox are not much better. I'm so sick of hearing of "Red Sox nation", and all their obnoxious fans invading other teams parks. I think that nation would break up pretty quickly if there were a salary cap and the Red Sox and Yankees sank to the bottom of the division.

wamco

07-04-2010, 10:24 AM

I had thought of petitte as well, but i couldn't recall the source of the bitterness. Wasn't it that the yanks seriously low balled him or didn't show interest as they signed someone else instead? (mussina perhaps)?

wamco

07-04-2010, 10:24 AM

As a sport if you are not going to at least STRIVE for RELATIVE competitive balance, what is really the point?

marcre

07-04-2010, 03:15 PM

They didn't really lose Pettite, they didn't want him anymore. They thought he was done. When they realized they were wrong, they resigned him.